Online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

If you’re passionate about helping individuals, families, groups and communities with a variety of challenges, the online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) may be an ideal fit. Offered through Arizona State University’s School of Social Work, this program will provide you with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to pursue a rewarding career. You’ll graduate equipped to provide direct services and make an impact in your community.

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Quick facts

Next start date:

Next start date: 01/13/2025


Total classes:

Total classes: 40

Weeks per class:

Weeks per class: 7.5

Total credit hours:

Total credit hours: 120

Degree questions, answered

Have questions about the Social Work (BSW)? Fill out this form and we’ll get in touch!

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Be a positive force in the world with a career in social work

Earning a BSW will prepare you to become a social work generalist who provides services to people across the lifespan. Social workers interact with a range of people from individuals and groups to communities and larger societal systems. As a social worker, you’ll engage in direct practice with those affected by issues related to mental health, aging, child maltreatment, criminal sentencing, disability policy, human rights and more.

This program is open to those with a variety of backgrounds. Whether you work or volunteer in direct services environments or broad areas of social service, you may be a good fit for this social work degree. Standout candidates have a passion for working with people and want to address complex social issues that impact vulnerable communities.

The skills you’ll develop in this online BSW

In this program, you’ll take courses sequentially, allowing you to build a foundation in social work concepts and apply them in practice. The curriculum is designed to build your abilities as a social work generalist. Key areas of learning include advocacy, consultation and education, as well as providing direct services. Career-focused skills you’ll build center around:

  • Assessment.
  • Engagement.
  • Evaluation.
  • Intervention.
  • Intake.
  • Research.

Additionally, if you want to pursue advanced positions in social work, you can earn an advanced standing Master of Social Work in as little as one year after graduating with your BSW. Note: you must meet all admission requirements to be admitted.

Gain hands-on experience close to home

As part of this BSW program, you’ll build tangible skills when you complete a supervised 480-hour practicum. You’ll work with the School of Social Work’s Practicum Education Office to identify a site. Because your site will be located in your geographic region, you’ll be able to immediately make an impact in your community.

Additionally, the practicum will solidify your competencies as a practitioner. You’ll have the opportunity to explore your professional identity, enhance your social work skills and practice working in a professional environment. You can tailor your practicum to your interests and choose from settings including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities and more.

Note: ASU’s School of Social Work is committed to providing a quality social work education and has obtained accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for all other social work programs. CSWE accreditation is currently pending for this new online BSW program.

Professional certification and licensure

ASU offers programs that lead to professional licensure with the State of Arizona and may allow graduates to be eligible for licensure in other states. Please check our professional licensure page for Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions to determine if this program meets the requirements in your state.

Will my diploma say ‘online’?

No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”

Online BSW courses

Your courses will cover a range of topics from micro and macro human behavior to ethics and whole-person health. In your last two semesters, you’ll apply the concepts and skills you’ve learned to a 480-hour practicum in your geographic region. Practicum sites can include hospices, youth organizations, community centers and other settings that involve providing support services.


What you can do with a degree in social work

Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for roles providing direct services to people of all ages, especially those in marginalized communities. Career settings with a growing demand for social workers include mental health, behavioral health and more. As a generalist, you can pursue opportunities as a policy advocate, support specialist, mental health specialist, behavioral health professional, community outreach worker and school social worker. Additional potential career paths include, but aren’t limited to:

Addictions Counselor


Growth: 18.4 %
Salary: $49,710

Behavioral Health Specialist


Growth: 6.6 %
Salary: $61,420

Counselor (General)


Growth: 17.2 %
Salary: $43,390

Human Behavior Researcher


Growth: 4.8 %
Salary: $50,470

Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)


Growth: 14.9 %
Salary: $56,570

Medical Social Worker


Growth: 9.6 %
Salary: $60,280

Mental Health Counselor


Growth: 18.4 %
Salary: $49,710

Social Services Director


Growth: 9.1 %
Salary: $74,240

Social Worker


Growth: 5.3 %
Salary: $50,820

Study alongside leading faculty in social work

The impressive faculty in the School of Social Work inspires the next generation of social workers through real-world solutions to issues in areas such as child welfare, family violence, health and mental health disparities, human trafficking and water scarcity. Our faculty are among the most prolific social work researchers in the country and many of the texts used in social work programs across the country were written by faculty who teach in the school’s online social work programs. Our faculty includes:

  • 7 Fellows of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
  • 11 Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research.
  • 5 Fulbright Scholars.

Study alongside leading faculty in social work

The impressive faculty in the School of Social Work inspires the next generation of social workers through real-world solutions to issues in areas such as child welfare, family violence, health and mental health disparities, human trafficking and water scarcity. Our faculty are among the most prolific social work researchers in the country and many of the texts used in social work programs across the country were written by faculty who teach in the school’s online social work programs. Our faculty includes:

  • 7 Fellows of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
  • 11 Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research.
  • 5 Fulbright Scholars.

How to apply

I am a future

You’re considered a first-year student for application purposes if you’ve never attended college or have fewer than 12 transferable credit hours.

Learn how to apply.

Don't meet admission requirements?

You can still gain general admission to most online programs at ASU through Earned Admission. Through this pathway, you can demonstrate your ability to succeed at ASU by completing online courses with a 2.75 GPA or higher.

To begin, submit an application to ASU. An enrollment coach will reach out with more information if Earned Admission is right for you.

*Some programs may have higher admission requirements. You must meet all program requirements to be admitted.

Don't meet admission requirements?

You can still gain general admission to most online programs at ASU through Earned Admission. Through this pathway, you can demonstrate your ability to succeed at ASU by completing online courses with a 2.75 GPA or higher.

To begin, submit an application to ASU. An enrollment coach will reach out with more information if Earned Admission is right for you.

*Some programs may have higher admission requirements. You must meet all program requirements to be admitted.

Nationally recognized public service programs

The School of Social Work is a part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions — a comprehensive public service college dedicated to addressing social problems through teaching, research and service. Our programs, which range from public policy and social work to criminal justice and emergency management, are designed to prepare graduates to make a difference in their communities.
 

#11


in social work research, according to the National Science Foundation, 2023.

#16


public school of social work, according to U.S. News & World Report, 2023.

#1


in innovation for 10 consecutive years, ahead of Stanford and MIT.

#1


public university in the U.S. chosen by international students, according to the Institute of International Education, 2022.

Tuition calculator

Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs. Learn more.

Tuition calculator

Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs. Learn more.

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